A high school football coach facing a murder charge after throwing a fatal punch at O'Sheas on the Las Vegas Strip is returning home to Florida.

Benjamin Hawkins of Gainesville posted bail Tuesday night after a judge set the bail at $25,000, a police spokesman said. Hawkins, 37, is due back in Las Vegas court in September.

Defense attorney Jack Buchanan told The Associated Press Wednesday that Hawkins will reside in Florida throughout the case, but will return to Las Vegas as necessary. Hawkins has pleaded not guilty.

Hawkins told police he punched John Massie, 46, after Massie referred to a "black man in a yellow shirt" while both men were in a public restroom at O'Shea's on July 6.

Hawkins, who is black, said he told Massie, who was white, to shut up. Then two men later squared off in a food court area of the Irish-themed casino.

Hawkins allegedly told police he perceived Massie's actions as aggressive, and feared that if he turned his back on Massie, he'd be attacked from behind. He punched Massie once in the jaw, according to a police report.

Both men were vacationing in Las Vegas at the time. Massie was visiting from Roy, Utah. Efforts to reach Massie family members in Utah were not immediately successful.

The Clark County coroner determined Massie died of a head injury from the punch and from hitting the floor. The death was classified as a homicide.

Buchanan said he believes witness statements and security videotape of the confrontation will confirm Hawkins' account.

"We feel he was acting in self-defense," Buchanan said.

Benjamin Hawkins is a teacher and assistant football coach at Bradford County High School in Starke, Fla. A school spokeswoman said Wednesday that no disciplinary action has been taken against Hawkins.

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It has been stated that Mr. Hawkins had his back to Mr. Massie and was walking away from him. He then turned and sucker punched Mr. Massie. Does not sound like he was in fear at that point or he would not have had his back to him or he would have ran. This is not self defense, this is doing something stupid.

He made a bad decision to punch Mr. Massie and now Mr. Massie is dead.

Mr. Hawkins needs to serve his time and go on with his life. Everyone has to pay for their mistakes.

You don't punch out people for things they say in this life. Personal responsibility.

Go home Mr. Hawkins and learn how to walk away or diffuse these type of incidents. We'll see you back here during trial and sentencing. Hopefully you'll be a guest in one of our beautiful 6 x 9's for 10 years.

Ten years for killing a man is not long enough. If the video shows self defense then he should be sent home for good, but if it shows what people are saying it shows, then he needs to spend alot of time in jail. I just wish they would release the video so we can quit guessing what happened. I guess time will tell.

You have to admit - only some guy who is so out of touch with diversity would think it is ok to make racial comments to a black man because it comes across as a cool thing online, in videos, music, or other fads.

You really have to be disconnected.

Terrible that this guy lost his life - but is it unreasonable to believe that a man will punch you in your face because you made racial/derogatory remarks about the man?

Mr. Massie's Alleged racial comments let's keep that in mind. But I still want to know who followed who to the restroom, We already know who followed who leaving the restroom. It will also be interesting to see if a support group of high school kids come out for Mr. Hawkins.

@unlvReally? By Mr. Hawkins own words the only "racial" statement was "the black man with the yellow shirt".

You consider those words enough to sucker punch a person?

Again, let's play a scenario...

Both men are at a table. They get into a war of words about how to play blackjack correctly. At the shuffle both men get up to go to the restroom. While in the restroom Mr. Hawkins is washing his hands while Mr. Massie is at the urinal. Massie is all pissed off as a friend of his also goes up to urinal next to him and his friend asks him "what's the matter"? Massie responds "the black guy with the yellow shirt has no damn clue how to play blackjack and he took my 21 card on the last hand. Man am I pissed". Hawkins says "shut up". Massie says "what are you going to do about it"?

If under this scenario you think Mr. Hawkins has a right to sucker punch this guy with his hands in his pockets...then we don't have much to debate. You're on another planet with that thinking.

Hawkins should have walked away, alerted security to the harassment and been done with this guy. He took it upon himself to get violent. Now he's branded a murderer. Learn to walk away. Mr. Hawkins isn't 15 years old. This is a grown man who should know violence was getting him nowhere except jail.

we will never know exactly what was said. the first report that Massie said " black guy something' it only later came out "Black guy in a yellow shirt" that is a description not a racial comment. besides if Massie intended to cause problems why does it state in reports that "Massie walked out of the restroom then followed by Hawkins" and when Massie stopped at the food court why didn't Hawkins keep walking? How do you get squaring off if Massie had his hands in his pockets? If Hawkins was so afraid of being punched why did he follow Massie. On the ground floor there are several exits he didn't have to go the same direction. Reports are that Hawkins is a former corrections officer so he would know how to use deadly force. judge set bail so he could go home and resume teaching and see his children....wow really what about Mr. Massie. where is the justice for him and his family. Mr. Massie served our country with the Air Force has 3 kids and took care of his mother. Was an educator with the Air Force. he deserved to go home too. is a mans life really worth so little. We will never know what Massie said or implied its Hawkins word against a dead man. Black or white it doesnt matter Hawkins could have walked away but sucker punched and killed a man instead.